


Tempest

by OffColorDarkrai



Series: Lightning breaking [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Accept the love Zuko!, Alternate Universe, Angry La, Awkward fire baby becomes awkward steam baby, Blue Spirit Zuko (Avatar), F/M, Fish dad is best Dad, Gen, Give Zuko all the Dads 2020, He doesn't know that yet though, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, La saves Zuko AU, Ocean adopts Zuko, Ozai sucks so now you have three new Dads, Protective Agni, Protective Iroh (Avatar), Protective La, Spirit Shinanigans, Spirit World (Avatar), Spirit-Dad Squad UNITE!, Spirits & Zuko, Sun dad is also best Dad, Temporary Character Death, Uncle Iroh is also also best Dad, Zhao (Avatar) Is An Asshole, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zuko saves the moon AU, bamf zuko
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:54:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26767600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OffColorDarkrai/pseuds/OffColorDarkrai
Summary: He woke up to shouting, Uncle's terrified voice, and Zhao being a complete idiot.In one world he didn't move.In this one all he can hear is Uncle's voice, see the red, red moon, and try to make things right.He gets repayed with a knife to the stomach.It should be the end, the final chapter, only it isn't.Because his sacrifice didn't go unnoticed,Because destiny will not be denied,Because now the storm is rising, and the ocean...The ocean is ANGRY!
Relationships: Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), La/Tui (Avatar), Tui & Yue (Avatar), Zuko & La (Avatar)
Series: Lightning breaking [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2027609
Comments: 44
Kudos: 773
Collections: Avatar, The Witch's Woods





	1. Body

He woke up to shouting and a pounding headache, the cold that had been seeping into his bones, now strangely absent. His face was pressed against something hard and his arms were secured behind him, forcing him on to his side, his whole body weight left resting on some of his less-than-healed injuries.

Zuko suppressed a groan as a heavy throb wracked his frame.

Carefully, carefully, he tugged the rope holding his wrists, trying to remember how he’d gotten here, wherever here was. He’d… he’d finally had the Avatar, snuck him away from the strange shrine, when everything had gotten very cold, and very dark. He hadn’t been able to see very well, even though he could _feel_ Agni’s light far, far above him, so he’d stopped, found them shelter—no point in capturing a dead Avatar, and he didn’t think Uncle would enjoy him almost dying again so soon. He remembered waiting, talking to a comatose Avatar—he didn’t focus on what he’d said, what he’d admitted, and the Avatar hadn’t heard it anyway—until Agni’s light had faded and the storm had stopped. Then… had he fallen asleep, or just zoned out? Either way the Avatar had used his moment of weakness to escape, his friends had shown up, and…

And now he was tied up on the back of their bison instead of freezing to death in the snow.

But… why?

Why hadn’t they left him behind? He… he was their enemy, a liability, he _knew_ they didn’t trust him and their lives would probably be easier if he wasn’t following them… but they didn’t leave him, they brought him _with_ them, left him _on their main mode of transport!_ Sure he was tied up, but they must have known how easily he could get out of that—was he really considered that little of a threat to them? Were they just that naive? Just that trusting?

Did they leave him an easy escape on purpose?

He shut those thoughts down, ignored them, focusing on maneuvering slowly but surely out of the rope. If he wanted to escape he needed to do so quietly, while they were distracted, though from the way they were shouting they probably wouldn’t hear him either way.

The shouting grew louder and Zuko paused, eyes still closed, wondering what was going on.

Then…

Was that Zhao?

_Was that UNCLE!?_

Uncle sounded panicked… no, uncle sounded _afraid_ , uncle was never afraid!

Zhao was here and Uncle sounded terrified.

Zuko had a split second to decide if he should give himself away.

He almost decided no.

‘ _I’ve thought of you as my own…’_

Fire sprang to his finger tips and he burned through the ropes, jumping up as soon as he was free, ignoring his head, ignoring the broken ribs—Uncle needed him, Uncle needed him, _Uncle needed him!_

“Zhao!”

Heads whipped his way, faces, worry, fear, rage, determination bathed in eerie red light, but he kept his eyes on where Zhao stood holding a wriggling cloth bag. He noticed Uncle off to the side, and the other men backing Zhao, staring at him with wide eyes, while Zhao’s face shifted through several emotions at once, before settling on smug.

“Well, isn’t this a surprise, both of the Fire Nation’s biggest Traitors, here to witness my victory.”

Zuko grit his teeth; the Avatar and his friends were giving him strange looks, but Uncle had turned back to face Zhao.

“Zhao, put the moon back,” The moon, what? “or I’ll…!”

“You’ll do nothing! Not if you want the moon spirit to live.”

The moon spirit? Really? Zhao was trying to kill the moon?! _That_ was his master plan!?

What even?!?

Now, Zuko was not inherently spiritual, not in the way Uncle was, but even he knew of the great spirits, and how catastrophic it would be if even one were to disappear. Zhao was an idiot!

Oh, looks like he said that out loud.

Zhao snarled at him, but then his snarl warped into a twisted grin.

A chill, completely unrelated to the ice surrounding them, ran up his spine.

“Alright then, _Prince Zuko,_ since you care so much, a trade: I will release the moon spirit, if you surrender yourself to me. Can’t return to the Firelord empty handed, can I?”

This was a trick, a trap, he knew that, he would have to be blind not to see it. Uncle could see it too, Zuko could catch it in his worried eyes, the way he glanced between Zhao and the bag and Zuko and back. He was torn, he was visibly torn, and Zuko felt something burning in his chest at that.

‘ _I think of you as my own…’_

_‘Never give up without a fight’_

_‘You were lucky to be born…’_

Nothing was ever gained from indecision.

He hoped Uncle would forgive him.

Zuko jumped lightly from the bison’s back—never look weak in front of Zhao—and strode past the Avatar and his friends as smoothly as possible, eyes forward, not looking at Uncle. He could do this, he could do this, Zhao was a madman, his father couldn’t possibly have approved this plan. Their nation was an island one, one who relied on the tides, like their ports, like their war ships. They may be followers of Agni, but it was said that he and the moon were siblings, and to kill her would be the highest form of blasphemy.

He could do this, for his people, for Agni, for the moon…

For Uncle.

The soldiers were tense at Zhao’s back; once he reached Zhao, there would be no chance for escape, not with how his breath was coming out more and more painfully, and his limbs burned in a way that made each movement a struggle. Hopefully Uncle would be safe, wouldn’t try to rescue him.

He was only a couple yards from Zhao, just out of reach. He stopped there, locking on to Zhao’s face, and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.

“By your honor, when I surrender, you will release the moon, and leave.”

Zhao’s smirk was pure evil.

“By my Honor.”

It was all he could do, hopefully now Uncle would be able to escape.

He stepped up to Zhao, glaring with his good eye. The man looked triumphant, it made Zuko feel sick, but he did begin to lower the bag, to put the moon back. There was a faint feeling of relief in the air, as Zuko flicked his gaze down, watching, to be sure.

It was a brief glance, less than a couple seconds, but it was enough.

He didn’t see Zhao’s knife until it was embedded in his stomach.

Someone screamed, someone behind him, but all he could see was Zhao’s twisted expression.

“A traitor doesn’t deserve honor.”

Figures, he should have known Zhao would go back on his word.

Everything was getting very, very cold. He could feel his fire fading.

There was shouting, screaming, red, red, but fading, fading.

He had only a little strength left.

Zuko let gravity take him, his knees giving out, falling sideways, as he used the very last of his strength to wrench the bag from Zhao’s hand and tuck it under him.

Now Zhao was shouting and the soldiers were moving, and Zuko was falling, falling.

_SPLASH!_

Water washed over him and the red light disappeared.

Zuko grinned as everything faded away.

Take that Zhao.

0o0

La didn’t think he’d ever felt so helpless, or so enraged, as the fire-scum held his beloved Tui out of reach.

He could see her, could feel her dying, and yet he could do nothing but continue to circle, to try to keep their balance in check.

The Spirit-bridge was there, speaking, standing with Tui’s beloved child, and he could sense the flaring chi, dragon-bright, of a spirit walker. But they were as helpless as he, just as useless, so afraid for his Tui’s life that they didn’t dare attack.

He wanted to storm, to rage, to drown! If his wife was the light, the guardian of the shallows, the tides, then he was the darkest waters, the crushing depths, that which struck and dragged and drowned. He wanted, oh how he wanted, but he didn’t dare, not without her, not with their balance so broken. Every moment, every second her struggles grew weaker, the more enraged he became, the harder it was to hold back. If this went on much longer…

There was something happening above, the fire-scum was speaking, smiling, and there was a new energy coming closer, weakened chi, already sputtering, but determined, burning. A boy, one of Agni’s children, talking to the fire-scum, offering his life for Tui’s.

La didn’t know what to think, he could only watch as the boy drew close, and Tui was lowered.

He saw the knife.

He saw the scum strike the boy.

He saw the boy fall.

He saw the boy grab Tui, his beloved Tui, and shield her with his broken body as they crashed down into the water.

La rushed to his beloved as fire flew above. Tui, sheltered below the fallen boy, remained safe from harm, even as her grief for her savior broke over the both of them. La comforted her, soothing her fear as best he could, even as his rage remained.

“It’s not fair.” Tui wept in the space-between-spaces. “The boy…”

“That fire-scum will pay for this!” La hissed, letting the tempest in him build and build.

He could see the boy’s fading spirit, still hanging on, even as his life bled into the sacred pool. He wouldn’t last much longer.

“No!” La snarled, drawing his wife’s attention. “I refuse to let this happen!”

“He’s one of my brother’s, La, we can’t…”

La was going to respond, to say something that was probably below his station, definitely less than polite, when a warmth brushed against him.

After all, he was the ocean, and somewhere in the world sunlight was dappling his waters.

“ _Save him brother. My people have made the gravest mistake!”_

That was all the permission La needed.

He brushed against the fading child, the faintest touch of a wave, the barest brush of calm, drawing the boy in.

His spirit was weakened, but his fire still burned.

The first spark of heat, light, and a heart full of thunder.

La could have smiled.

Lightening always came with the storm.

The boy came firmly into his grasp.

And La, the ocean, the spirit of deepest darkest waters, unleashed the storm.


	2. Mind

Tui was gentle in her actions, and graceful in her speech. His beloved was softest moonlight, lightest clouds, and calmest waters.

La was none of those things.

The power of the raging storm, the most violent hurricane, the harshest whirlpool, the crushing darkness of the deep, he poured it into the boy, filling him up with life, with energy. The boy’s spirit startled and cried, then lashed out with the crash of thunder and lightning strike. He rode the tempest, fighting, striking, and La embraced those movements, strengthening them, joining them, flowing over and in and around, filling every inch, every cell with his power, with the pride he felt at each determined action. The boy seemed startled, unsure, but his ferocity didn’t fade. La could see him now, all of him, all of who he was, who he could be. He traced along memories like chi paths, ran along rage and longing and love, so much love. He absorbed memories of the Spirit-walker, the Dragon-sister, the Blessing-Usurper, the missing-protector, the Spirit-Bridge, and the Fire-Scum. This boy had beaten the Fire-Scum before, defeated him, humiliated him, and that made La smile an Orca-Shark’s smile.

He brushed the color of the darkest deep through the boy’s—Zuko’s—hair and wove his mark under his skin.

He whispered, the softest sprinkle of rain, in his child’s ear.

The Fire-Scum must pay.

His Child agreed readily.

La wrapped lovingly around his child, and rose from the pool.

0o0

Aang had watched horrified as Zhao accepted Zuko’s surrender, then violently broke his word. Yue had screamed and Zuko’s uncle had shouted as Zuko fell. Zhao had looked triumphant at first, then he’d become enraged. What, had he not meant to do that? No, wait, his hands were empty, but that meant…

Zuko’s body hit the water and the red light immediately vanished.

“He grabbed the Moon!” Yue gasped in shock, while Katara used her returned bending to summon several ice spears and hurl them at the firebending soldiers. Some of them dodged and fired back with their own fire bursts, but as Aang had long ago learned: an angry Katara was a dangerous Katara, and since she’d been training with Master Pakku… well, he didn’t envy the soldiers. Sokka stood in front of Yue, using his boomerang and machete to beat off encroaching fireballs. Aang, for his part, went after Zhao, hitting him with a massive airwave as he tried to shoot fire blasts at the fish in the pond. None were connecting as the fish hid under Zuko’s body—don’t think about it, don’t think about it, don’t think about it—but that wasn’t stopping Zhao from screaming like a crazy person and peppering the water with flares.

Aang’s attack connected as Zhao drew back his arm for another throw, blowing him backward and into the oasis wall. Zhao didn’t appear too damaged, unfortunately, easily springing back to his feet, only for a literal _wall of flame_ to slam into him. He blocked, but only barely so, and didn’t have any time to retaliate before another one was hurtling at him. Aang saw Zuko’s uncle, tears streaking his face, eyes shining with fury as he drove Zhao back, back, back.

Zhao couldn’t hit back, and whenever he tried either Iroh or Aang would just slam him harder. Finally, Zhao appeared to decide to cut his losses and bolted, dodging the attempts to stop him and fleeing the Oasis, his few still standing soldiers following after.

Aang panted, watching where Zhao had fled through, waiting to see if he would come back, and letting his exhausted shoulders slump when he didn’t. He could see where Katara had frozen all the unconscious soldiers in place, her own shoulders slumping, and where Sokka was checking on Yue.

Whose sad blue eyes were focused solely on the weeping man sitting next to the pond.

The horror hit Aang all over again as he and the others approached Zuko’s uncle. The man didn’t even look up as they reached him, head bowed, tears flowing freely. He didn’t reach for his nephew’s body, like he couldn’t quite believe what was in front of him. Yue rested her hand on his shoulder, kneeling next to him.

“He was very brave.” She murmured like a condolence. “I don’t know if I could have had his strength.”

“My nephew,” Zuko’s Uncle choked out. “Was so very strong, but he never believed it.” The tears were flowing harder now. “His life was not a kind one, nor an easy one, but he never let that stop him. He was fire, ever burning, using hardship to give him strength. He knew what was at stake, he knew Zhao was not to be trusted, but Prince Zuko… he may have buried it deep, but I know my nephew had a good, true heart.”

His words caught and no one had the heart to say anything else. Aang looked at Zuko’s body, thinking on Zuko’s uncle’s words, back to a fortress and a grinning blue mask. He wondered back then, he wondered now, what had made Zuko do something like that, risk his life in such a way, work against his own people? Zhao had called him a traitor; did he know? Or was it something else? Was that why he was after Aang?

So many questions, and no easy answers.

Aang went to turn away, unable to look anymore, when a faint light caught his eye.

“Hey!” He didn’t mean to startle the others, not during such a somber moment, but he was too surprised to care. The others followed his line of sight and erupted into their own exclamations of shock.

One of the fish was glowing.

And so was Zuko’s body.

“The moon’s healing him!” Katara gasped.

“No,” Yue spoke, and Aang noticed the way her eyes seemed to glow with the moonlight. “That is not Tui, it is La.”

As she spoke the light flared around Zuko’s body and the Black koi glowed so bright everyone was forced to cover their eyes. The light dimmed, not completely, but enough, and something _big_ emerged from the pool. It looked like some monstrous Koi, but at its center Aang could clearly see brilliant glowing eyes and the lines of a laughing mask. La-Zuko moved like a rising wave, growing higher and higher under the moonlight, flowing out of the Oasis and into the city.

“What’s happening!” Sokka shouted, the heavy rush of water still vibrating the air.

“ _Punishment.”_ A voice echoing with power drew their attention to Yue, whose eyes were glowing white and hair floated around her. She was… _otherworldly,_ and Aang knew he was looking at the moon spirit.

“ _The fire-traitor has committed the gravest crime not only against me, but against my brother whom he claims to follow. He will receive punishment, and his people will be driven from our shores. My beloved and his child will make sure no more life is lost this night.”_

“His child?” Iroh asked, tears no longer falling, eyes determined.

The Moon smiled.

“ _Yes, my beloved has taken in the boy, with my Brother’s blessing. He is strong, like the raging storm, and he has a great destiny before him.”_ The Moon nodded her head to Iroh. “ _Your nephew cares for you very much, Iroh-Spirit-Walker, and he will be returned to you. He will need your aid in the times to come.”_

Iroh bowed, new tears, this time out of gratitude, flowing, as The Moon looked over toward Aang and the others.

“ _He will need you as well, Avatar. You, Master Katara, Warrior Sokka, one you have already met, and another you have not, all of your destinies are intertwined with the fate of this world. Stand with each other, as you have stood with our people, and with my child, and do not give up on your true selves, no matter what.”_

The Moon waited for their agreement, then with one last smile the light faded and Yue collapsed into Sokka’s arms.

“Yue?” He shook her gently, making her blink her eyes up at him.

“Sokka.” She placed a soft kiss on his cheek, making Sokka blush. “I’m fine, the moon would never hurt me.”

She got to her feet with Sokka’s help, lightly straightening her parka, before gesturing toward Appa.

“The moon told me we should follow Zuko.”

The general response was to shrug and agree, all of them clambering onto Appa’s back, including Zuko’s uncle—Iroh?—and Aang got Appa to fly up, over the city.

The full moonlight lit up the North Pole like broad day, shining off the ice structures and reflecting off the flowing body of the Ocean as it rose above the canals, one massive arm directing out wave after wave, washing the fire nation ships out amongst the icebergs, where great pillars of ice erupted through the hulls, permanently scuttling the ships and rendering them unsalvageable. Glaciers bent and moved and locked into place, creating a wall between the city and the enemy.

Katara and Sokka cheered as Yue clasped her hands happily in front of her, even Iroh looked overjoyed to see his people being pushed back. Aang felt like laughing with joy, the North Pole was safe at last!

There was a flash of red below them, drawing Aang’s attention.

The joy evaporated instantly.

It was Zhao.


	3. Spirit

That wretched, koh-spawned traitor! That disgusting stain on the monarchy, he should have killed him sooner!  
Zhao grit his teeth as he retreated—being forced to flee by a washed up general and a pathetic boy relic, after his moment of triumph was dashed by that mistake, rage burned in his chest at the injustice. No matter, no matter, he would still complete his destiny, they couldn’t stay there forever, and there would be no prince to stop him this time. He only needed to make sure he lost them, and then…  
The sound of thunder and crashing waves, and the light above turned blue. He was on the crest of a bridge, the area free of combatants, when the bridge seemed to tremble, forcing him to stop. Something was coming up the canal below him, something bright, something unnatural. The echoes of storm and wind filled the air, the moon’s light almost seeming to dim as the rush of light rose from below like a tsunami.   
Zhao held his stance, he knew what this was, he wasn’t stupid. The Moon and the Ocean, one was in the sky, so this must be the other, probably seeking its ‘revenge’ for hurting its partner. The dark to the moon’s light, he’d read about it during his research, but he’d seen no reason to bother with it. It was obviously the weaker partner, controlled by the moon’s whims, and just as easily gotten rid of. It had foolishly chosen to chase him down instead of hiding in its secret pool, and for that it would burn. Just the thought of it: Zhao, slayer of the ocean and moon, single handed destroyer of the water tribes, a feat to match the late fire lord Sozin. Maybe he could finish off the Avatar as well, after all, there would be no water tribe left to reincarnate into, the cycle would be broken.  
Admiral Zhao, Spirit Slayer. That had such a nice ring to it.  
The glow of the water was nearly surrounding him now, rising and rising like a water spout, but he stayed where he was, sharp eyes searching for the weak spot, the ocean’s mortal form. He spotted it, glowing even brighter than the surrounding water, and a smirk began to slither along his lips…  
Then…  
No…  
That… that was impossible!  
The glow, the pulsing, raging glow, he could see it, see the ocean’s mortal shell circling, ever circling, but in front of it, in front of it glowed something he’d thought he’d never have to see again. A fanged smile, dark eyes, white and blue and mocking him! How?! Why!? What was this!?!  
The Blue spirit leered at him, water sweeping, as he stared into Zhao.  
Zhao discovered himself frozen to the spot, both literally and figuratively, as the Blue Spirit lightly stepped onto the Bridge.  
“Fire-traitor,” A voice like the fiercest tempest filled the air, and below it a familiar, rasping voice. “You have commited the greatest sin! You conspired to end the life of one of the great spirits, the beloved sister of Agni, the one you claim to worship, and in doing so not only threatened the balance of this world, but also took the life of Agni’s blessed child!”  
Blessed child? Zuko!? Zhao couldn’t help but sneer, lighting his fists as he did so.  
“Indeed, and I have no doubt it will be just as enjoyable the second time.”  
The Blue Spirit looked at the flames as they licked at the air, ready to be put to use.  
Then he there his head back and laughed!  
“No mortal, you seem to misunderstand,” His laughter was lightning crashing, and suddenly, between one breath and the next, he was right in Zhao’s face.   
“YOU WILL NOT BE GETTING ANOTHER CHANCE!”  
0o0  
La was smiling, his laughter tumbling and tumbling, burbling over and around it’s child’s, as they flung themselves forward, enveloping the fire-traitor, squeezing, choking, drowning. They laughed, and they laughed, their rage burning hotter than their brother-in-law’s hottest fire, as they dragged the scum down, down, down, through the space-between-spaces, through the barriers between real and unreal, and into the deepest heart of his domain. Water buries deeper than any stone, and smothers breath better than any air, and while fire robbed identity quickly and thoroughly, water moved slowly, achingly slowly, but unstoppably. It robbed bit by bit and piece by piece, prolonging, stretching, death by a thousand cuts. As such, the fog of lost-souls was La’s domain, truly, completely, and it was with ringing laughter that they brought the traitor there, and left him.  
La’s laughter ebbed away as the fog faded behind, allowing him to turn his focus to the child still held within his form.  
He looked at his child, and the child looked back, awe and fear, and the ever-present storm in his eyes. What now, what now? Now they returned to the mortal world, to Tui. No, what now, what of the child? Confusion and worry and old, old heartache. La flowed over his child’s hurt, a cooling stream. His child would return too. His child? Yes, yes, now, forever, always, brave strong storm child, La would keep him, oh yes. True he would probably have to share him with Agni, and from what he could tell, with the Spirit-Walker too, but that was fine, his child deserved as much as could be given.  
His child had no idea how to respond to that, startled and floundering.  
Yes, yes, La would talk with his brother-in-law, and the Spirit-walker, they could come to an arrangement.  
His child had a great destiny ahead, and he wouldn’t miss it for the world.

**Author's Note:**

> And so begins the story of Fish Dad, Sun Dad, and Uncle Dad taking their angry child and good-dading the absolute fire out of him.  
> They are very protective, let me tell you!  
> Aang later finds out about the whole Roku thing and psudo-joins the Dad Squad.  
> Toph IS the sibling Squad.  
> So is Yue.  
> Katara and Sokka be the only sane ones.  
> Suki asks Toph if she can join the Sibling Squad.  
> Azula is #bitter about the Dad squad and the sibling Squad.  
> Local Awkward Turtleduck has all the Dads 2020.


End file.
